Rouge sat in a chair as she watched the hedgehog known as Sperk paced in his cell. She was tapping her foot and finally jumped up, "Would you stop pacing around? It is annoying!"

Sperk smiled and leaned onto the bars, "Well if you want to come in here, I am sure we could figure something out."

"Take a cold shower!"

Sperk chuckled and walked over to the small cot, "You know I am in here, just because I want to. These bars and walls are nothing to me."

"So why are you willing to be locked up?"

"Because I know what is coming. Whether I am in here or out there matters not. Your future would have been very grim if it wasn't for me!"

Rouge walked over to the bars, "What do you mean?"

The hedgehog jumped to his feet and walked toward her, "My history states that Rhinox was successful in capturing you and taking you to Robotnik. He then impregnated you with a very deadly creation. You die shortly after giving birth, but the monster born caused terror all over the planet. I lost my arm and eye killing that thing." He flexed his arm, "But dad was nice enough to grow me a new one."

Rouge stepped back, "What?"

Sperk laughed, "You'll know soon enough. Then you must decide who will truly be the one to save you." Rouge quickly turned heel and ran out of the jail as Sperk's laughter echoed.

Julie-su sat with her face in her hands as she cried. Knuckles sat down next to her and rubbed her back, "What is wrong?"

"I was showing Lara the shower and I went to get her a towel." Julie rubbed her eyes, "And when I came back ,I saw scars. Deep ones all over her body. What kind of world did I leave my daughter in?" Julie burred her face into Knuckles shoulder, "What kind of mom am I?"

Knuckles did his best to consol her, "Hey calm down! I promise we will do what ever it takes to prevent that future from happening."

Rouge ran into Knuckles's hut and sat down, "That guy is nuts! I have no idea what happens in the future, but that guy is crazy."

Shadow pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against, "Well he is related to Speed."

"This is no time for jokes."

Shadow sighed and walked to a window, "We have two options. Believe one of them or believe neither of them. And despite the evidence we have seen, we still can't make a decision."

Lara walked in with a towel rapped around her, "I can lead you to Luxor's palace in the other realm."

Shadow turned toward her, "You can?"

"Yes! The Freedom Fighters in my time have captured many portal generators. I can open one to The Nightmare Realm. If you want my help that is."

"What can you tell us about Sperk?"

"He works for Robotnik. He is as evil and as crazy as they come."

Rouge shrugged, "I buy that!"

Shadow nodded, "All right! I can not let my brother's wife remain in Luxor's hands. I owe him that much. We will move when you're ready."

In his cell, Sperk's watch beeped and he smiled, "It is almost time!" He put on his mash and cape and flexed his arms, "Soon the time will be at hand."

The next day, Lara-su held out a small black device and hit a red button on it. A small bolt of energy shot from it and a black vortex appeared, "This leads to a cave a few miles from his stronghold."

Knuckles looked it over, "So what is the plan?"

Shadow walked to the portal, "We go in, get Leda, and get out."

"And Sperk? I refuse to guard him!" Rouge was started to follow him.

"I'll watch him!" Julie drew her blaster, "I'll keep him out of trouble."

Shadow excepted this and walked into the portal. Knuckles and Rouge quickly followed. Lara put a foot into it and turned back, "I'll be back soon!" As she started to walk through, an explosion went off next to her and knocked her clear of it as it closed.

Julie sighed, "And to think I complained when things were peaceful." She looked around with her blaster ready.

"Yeah!" Lara stood up.

Twenty metal balls rolled up and uncurled into hedgebots. A larger blue one rolled up and uncurled. He smiled at the two echidnas, "Surprise."

Julie drew her blaster, "Metal!"

The metal hedgehog nodded, "My Master saw fit to rebuild me. It is a shame that Knuckles and the others left. But it does makes my job easier."

Shadow walked to the mouth of the cave and stuck his head out. The place was just as he remembered it. Dark skies, gray clouds, and gray grass. Shadow could see Luxor's large palace in the distance. He glanced at Knuckles, "It looks to be about ten miles away." He sighed, "But there is no cover between here and there. It is just an open plain."

"I don't like it! We would be completely open to an attack."

Shadow nodded, "We will just have to find a better way."

Rouge ran up, "Lara didn't come through the portal."

Knuckles slammed his fist into the cave wall so hard that pebbles fell from the ceiling, "She betrayed us!"

Rouge shook her head, "No! I heard an explosion on the other side. I think the island is under attack."

"Damn!" Knuckles dropped to his knees, "And I can't go back and protect it!"

Shadow patted his shoulder, "Then we must hurry and get to the palace. No doubt that Luxor has a way of getting to our own realm." Knuckles nodded and stood up. Shadow looked toward the palace, "But we must still be careful. If we hurry to much, we will get caught."

"I understand!" The red echidna slammed his fist together, "When I get back I will crush those who dare attack my home."

Rouge gulped and looked at the back of the cave, "Lets hope it wasn't Sperk."

"Yeah!" The trio began their journey to the palace.

All of the metal hedgehogs attacked with red beams from their eyes. The two female echidnas barely managed to avoid the deadly blasts. Julie-su opened fire, but all her shots did was bounce off their metal skin. Metal waved his hand and a pair of hedgebots curled up and launched themselves at the two. Lara shoved Julie out of the way and ducked under the two spiked balls. They uncurled and stood ready to strike. "Stay back mother!" Lara's eyes began to glow with dark purple light and her hands erupted with purple energy. Both bots launched themselves at her with claws ready. Lara met them in mid air and slammed her fist into one of the bot's chest. Purple energy arched around the bot and it's chest sparked. The other bot landed on the ground unharmed, but the other was rammed into the ground by Lara and its head exploded. The echidna turned to the last one and smiled evilly, "Come on!" The bot itself was devoid of feeling and rushed at her and attacked with its claws. She jumped back and her fist exploded with more energy. She threw a punch and a purple beam shot from it and smashed the bot into a tree. The tree snapped and fell on top of the bot. Lara chuckled, "Pathetic!"

Julie-su slowly walked to her daughter, "Lara?"

The echidna turned her head, "I'm fine mom! I just had to learn new tricks in order to survive."

Metal chuckled and sat down on a rock, "Interesting!" He snapped his metal fingers and five hedegbots went to attack. Lara again shoved Julie out of the way as the five ran at her. Two of them curled into balls and rolled past her. She turned and two others grabbed her from behind. The two that had rolled past her uncurled and also grabbed her. Lara struggled to move, but to no effect. The fifth one leapt high into the air and landed on top of the group. The five bots' eyes flashed red and all five exploded. Metal clapped his hands, "Excellent!"

Julie ran toward the smoke, "Lara!" As the smoke dissipated, Lara stepped out of the smoke. She had a few burns and scrapes and her clothes were in tatters. Julie ran to her, "Are you all right?"

Her daughter's eyes continued to glow, "I've been better, but I will take these guys down." She rushed at the group of metal hedgehogs.

Metal stood up and held his palms close together. A sphere of black energy formed and he launched it at her. Lara jumped to the side, but the orb changed course and exploded on impact. Lara hit the ground hard. Before she could recover, Metal activated the turbine in his chest and shot forward. He grabbed her neck and dragged her across the ground and slammed her into the rock he had been sitting on. Julie-su ran to help her, but a pair of hedgebots grabbed her arms and pinned her down. Metal laughed as he slammed his foot into Lara's neck, "Master Robotnik and Bojack were kind enough to give me a few upgrades." He looked at his metal hands, "These energy casters are to die for." He held his palm out toward her face, "As you are about to find out." As the palm started to glow, a foot shot from the sky and slammed into Metal's face. The metal hedgehog was sent to the ground and rolled onto his feet, "Who dares to face me?"

Sperk stood in front of Lara in his super form and halberd in hand, "I do!"